Tracing Gramps…and becoming Irish

4 MINUTE READ

I’m becoming Irish. To be sure, I’ll still be Scottish and British, but if I can also become Irish it means I’ll still feel European.

Ok I admit, that’s quite a lot of nationalities for just one person…but don’t go all judge-y on me. I like to have options – I’ve also got 5 pairs of very similar jeans & 3 pairs of almost identical black heels.

So, in case you missed it – Britain voted to leave the European Union and is scheduled to say….So long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye sometime in 2019, which means…actually, I haven’t a clue what it means apart from I expect I won’t feel as European after 2019 as I do at the moment.

Now, don’t worry I’m going to get all shout-y and political BUT (whine-y voice) I LIKE being European.

Yes, I know that there were a lot of downsides to being part of the EU. It guzzles money and there’s a lot of waste and major problems and complicated issues and bureaucrats who pay themselves tons of euros and are prone to banning bananas that aren’t bendy enough, BUT, call me shallow and simplistic….ILIKE having continental hams & cheese in our supermarkets, and I LIKEmeeting (and making friends with) people from different countries, and I LIKE being able to travel easily throughout Europe without having wait in long queues at every border and most of all… I LIKE not having World War III.

Plus, I don’t much fancy chlorine-washed chicken.

But hey, democracy rules.

Then, a couple of months ago, I read that applications for Irish passports have shot up by 82% since the EU Referendum, with British citizens claiming nationality based on where their parents or grandparent were born.

Which got me thinking about Ol’ Gramps (my dad’s dad), who died long before I was born. Now, I was vaguely aware, through family lore, that Gramps was born near Enniskillen, but I figured that because that’s in Northern Ireland, he would have been a British citizen and therefore I wouldn’t qualify for Irish citizenship

Which just shows how much I know!

I found out, in the pub (see…going to the pub is not a waste of time) and confirmed here, that anyone with a grandparent born on the island of Ireland (including Northern Ireland) is eligible for Irish citizenship – which means Gramps could be my PASSPORT to…a PASSPORT.

Tracing Gramps

But first I had to find out a bit about him. Sadly everyone on that side of the family is dead but I got hold of my dad’s birth certificate, then got on to Mr O’Google and tracked down my grandparents’ marriage certificate (which took place in Scotland). With some names & dates to go on I seached www.rootsireland.ie (which cost £9) but didn’t get any futher: They suggested I try www.irish-world.com and, without much thought or expectation of a reply, I dashed off an email, outlining the little information I had, to their Contact Us address.

Within an hour, my phone rang. Hello… a lovely lilting accent said…it’s Willie here from County Tyrone, I’ve found your grandfather. Within an hour!

As Willie told me my grandfather’s full name, his parents’ names and where and when he was born, I felt I was starring Who Do You Think You Are.

I realised that my grandfather must have died at the age of 50, which made me feel a bit teary for the man I never knew. And curious…what I really wanted to know was when and why did he come to Scotland. I expect I never will.

So anyway, the lovely Willie has offered to get me Gramps’ birth certificate, all the way from Dublin, do some more research and prepare a report on any other family connections he can find (I’m hoping there are some serious millionaires in the clan) – all for the princely sum of £35.

By this point, Willie was my new BFF and I was hoping we were related.

So while I am waiting on news from the Old Country, I’m practicing my Oirish accent and that really fast dancing (it’s not going well) and trying to develop a liking for Guinness.

Well good luck with the old oirish accent but if you want some advice on how to become a native of the Emarald Isle you should contact Jack Charlton I remember in the 80’s he could get you citizenship by just drinking the black stuff🤨great blog once again

My kids, young adults, would love to find an Irish grandparent – they were devastated at the UK vote, but both sets of grandparents are still alive and no Irish births there. But my grandmother was a Butler…now there’s a thought! Good luck x

Genealogy is a hobby of mine. I too am English, Scottish, and Irish, but I’m also French, German, Swiss, and Swedish, Canadian, and of course, now American. It gets hard to keep track of sometimes! But knowing your roots makes such a difference. I’m happy for you finding out about your grandfather. Best wishes in your family history journey!

My mum used to have a house in Ireland (although none of us are Irish) so I spent all my summers growing up over in Connemara. I’d love to be able to have an Irish passport and stay European! Lucky you. <3

Hi Kevin thanks for reading and commenting. I am still getting together all the paperwork but from what you say sounds like the application process might not be as simple as I think. Good luck with your research. Jill

That’s fascinating, Jill. I adore looking into family history (there’s a brilliant AncestryHour on Twitter where everyone is really helpful). I’m also delighted that my gramps was born in Kinsale, Cork – Irish passport here I come!! I recently did an ancestry DNA test and discovered I’m 46% Irish, 37% Western European, 5% Great Britain, 8% Iberian, 3% Scandinavian, and 1% African!! I can’t wait to delve into the research for this 🙂

Hi Shelley I’ll check out AncestryHour. I think I had beginners luck. Hopefully it was all go as smoothly going forward. Let me know how u go with your research and passport. Jx PS What a lovely mixuture you are 🙂

In general, I would say that I do not have an addictive personality…..that is until I start working on the family tree. Then NOTHING gets done around the house! I spends hours drinking tea and finding “lost” relatives. Enjoy your journey!!

Good luck with tracing your roots. I’m not surprised how many people are applying for Irish passports. A lot of us didn’t vote to leave and I think most of us are worried about what this means for us as a nation.

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A big HELLO and WELCOME to my blog.
I'm Jill and apparently a woman of a 'certain age'.
Well quite frankly, sod that!
Here you'll find a wry guide to (Mid)Life – from never quite being bikini-body ready to looking after a headstrong Border Terrier for a week.
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Jill x

jill@midlifesmarts.com

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